The day simpson was shot

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Mr Negus' uncle was among the first Australian troops to land on the shores of Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, receiving a Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty.

Rosser was a private with 3rd Field Ambulance and served as a stretcher-bearer with Simpson and his donkey.

"Simpson was only with my uncle for the first few days after they landed at Gallipoli, but then Simpson went off and did his own thing after finding a donkey," Mr Negus, a South Perth RSL member, said.

"My uncle kept a diary and he was with Simpson the day he was killed.

"The diary is long gone now but I have managed to find a letter he wrote based on his diary entries to the now defunct newspaper the Western Mail in mid-1929.

"He wanted to correct any wild stories about his mate's death."

The letter painted a harrowing picture of the events that day: The Turks had made a very fierce attack that morning against our lines but were driven back with great loss. Simmo was bringing his man down as usual on the donkey while he walked alongside supporting his patient. He was shot in the back and dropped dead. The patient managed to keep his seat and the donkey continued his pace down to the beach and stopped as usual at the dressing station without his master. One of the gamest men who wore the Aussie tunic. I have seen Simmo and his donkey come down shrapnel gully when not another man was visible and the whole place a shrieking death.

"When Simmo went down, the donk wandered aimlessly about on the slopes and valleys and his utter indifference to shell fire caused many a comment. Later he was taken charge of by the 21st Mountain Battery of Sikhs who camped near us, it was later rumoured that one of their officers took him back to India when the battery returned, but I cannot vouch for this.My uncle died before I was born and after reading a supplement to the London Gazette of September 6, 1915, I wish I could have met him," Mr Negus said.